15 Minute Career Counselling Test

Work Made Better

You may be struggling with what is not working in your career at this present moment. We have created a quick and simple 4 step process to get an effective overview of the 5 key areas that contribute to you finding joy in your career. This assessment can be done in as little as 15 minutes; others may want to spend longer – whatever works for you! Remember, this is a good starting point to determine some of the core elements that are connected to your career satisfaction. There are no quick fix solutions. This test is meant to help you get clarity on your next course of action. You can also use the 15 Minute Career Test to evaluate new options for you. This is a great way to evaluate a new career opportunity to ensure that it meets your objectives.

Step 1 – Taking a Personal Inventory

Please make a list of your talents, passions, values, elements of your ideal lifestyle and employment ecosystem. I have provided some examples to help you develop your own lists. Please include as many talents, values, et cetera, as you can think of. It does not have to be work related – everything is relevant!

2. Passions: What do you feel passionate about? What do you love? What is important to you? What do you like to read about? What spurs you to action? (Examples: food, your family, working outdoors, faith, ideas, finding out how things work)
a.
b.
c.
d.

3. Values: What are your personal values? What do you value in other people? What do you believe strongly in? (Examples: family, faith, caring, security, trust)
a.
b.
c.
d.

4. Lifestyle: What would be your ideal lifestyle? (Examples: large home, large income, have a cottage on a lake, X number of children, further education, time for leisure)
a.
b.
c.
d.

Step 2 – Measuring Your Career Joy

Consider your current occupation/job or previous role if you are not currently working. On a scale of 1- 10 (where 10 is the best possible score) rate how well your occupation utilizes your strengths in each of the previous 5 categories.

Now add up your score out of a total maximum score of 50.

Talents: On a scale of 1-10, how well does my current occupation utilize my best and most important talents? _/10

Passions: On a scale of 1-10, how well does my current occupation engage my passions? _ /10

Values: On a scale of 1-10, how well does my current occupation meet my values? _ /10

Lifestyle: On a scale of 1-10, how well does my current occupation meet my ideal lifestyle? _/10

Environment/Atmosphere: On a scale of 1-10, how well does my current occupation meet my ecosystem expectations? _ /10

Step 3 – Understanding Your Score

Now benchmark your score against the following criteria. (Please note that this test is for personal use only and a career coach should be consulted if someone is considering a career change based on the results of this test):

Under 30: Unacceptable situation. Why is this situation unacceptable? (Examples: you find yourself irritable at work, negative impacts on family and social life, low self-esteem, etc.) What action(s) do you need to take immediately?

30 to 35: Needs improvement. What is your lowest score? What action(s) do you need to take to make improvements?

36 to 40: Good. Where are the low and high scores? What action(s) do you need to take to make improvements?

Above 40: Right job. (Examples: I enjoy my work, I have positive feelings about my co-workers, I look forward to new projects, I look forward to going to work every day, etc.) What areas can you improve upon?

Step 4 – How to Further Analyze

Your Results for those who wish to go a bit deeper with this test, take a look specifically at each category for key indicators of what to do next.

What did I learn about myself?

What are my special talents and skills?

What do I value?

What am I passionate about?

What type of atmosphere do I work best in?

If you consistently scored high in talents and passions, and low in values and ecosystem, then you are most likely in the right job but in the wrong company. You should start the journey towards finding a company that is much better suited to you. If you scored high in values and ecosystem but low in talents and passions, you are in the right company, but the wrong job. You might consider how to shift within your organization to an area that is a better fit.

What are the best choices for me?

What lifestyle factors will influence my decisions?

If you scored low in all areas, you need to look at both your career choice and the company that you are employed by; the right fit doesn’t exist in any area. Take note of themes and trends within each of the categories. For example, imagine that one of your natural talents is musical ability. If in each of your past positions that talent scored low, it’s clear that you were unable to use your musical talent in those jobs. You may determine that you value this talent in yourself, and should perhaps be looking for different ways to express it. (Example: Neha worked for three years in sales and marketing at a high tech firm. She was eventually able to obtain similar employment with a local radio station, where she gets to combine her skills in marketing with her talent for appreciating music.)
When the process is complete, think about what you have learned from this exercise.

What information do you take away, both personally and with regard to your career?

Does your current job measure up? If not, you might consider making a change for the better. But before you can confidently decide to stay or go, you must answer this question honestly: “Why do I want to leave?” Are you running from problems you carry to every job? If so, a new job is not going to solve those problems, and you might do well to seek professional guidance.

What are my next steps? Do I have gaps that need to be addressed (i.e. education/experience). What experience do I need to achieve my goals? What financial resources do I need? What type of financial assistance is available and would I qualify?

Next Steps Please forward your completed test to, Ms Gurleen Khaira, a renowned career counsellor and psychotherapist at khaira.education@gmail.com. We will contact you to arrange for your consultation. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Gurleen via email or at +919872319935. You may be struggling with how to combine your experience, your education and your passions. The whole process may seem daunting, but it really does start with one action towards a better future.